The Proactive Twelve Steps: Mindfulness For Lasting Change

Millions of people credit the Twelve Steps for their recovery from addiction to alcohol and other substances. But the original 12 steps are not a list of instructions specific to substance abuse or addiction. They describe a path toward self-discovery and personal growth. It is a path that leads to a better relationship with yourself, with others, and with the world. This is what I find very inspiring. See: A context for the Twelve Steps.

The Proactive Twelve Steps follow the structure of the original 12 steps in describing how you can rebuild your sense of self, and your life, by changing how you relate to people and situations. The Proactive 12 Steps describe the “steps” as a self-directed process—as opposed to a mystical process in which change somehow happens to you. This is meant for all people who seek wholeness in their lives, not just people dealing with alcoholism or addiction.

I originally wrote these steps for people who, like me, were not part of the Twelve Steps culture. Over time, many people involved in Twelve Steps recovery have told me that they find inspiration in these “proactive steps”: Not necessarily as a replacement for the wording they are so familiar with, but as a way to gain a new perspective on it.

This down-to-earth approach describes a path that is meaningful regardless whether your orientation is humanist, secular (non-religious) or spiritual or religious.

This is the Beta version of the 4th edition of the Proactive 12 Steps. Compared to earlier editions, there are substantial differences in the wording of the steps and in the commentary.

The 4th edition has been a work in progress for the past several months, incorporating feedback from readers over successive versions. This is the 6th version of the 4th edition, and is probably going to be the final version.

Now is the time to share with us your feedback on the commentary:
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What do you find helpful?
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What would you want more of?
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What would you add or change?